What's Up, Up Here? Mammoth News and gossip for June 8-14

Now that Tim Alpers is off the stump, he can seriously get to work on 1. Helping run the county and 2. Finishing that book about the history of the Alpers Ranch. It’s to be a vivid look into the history of the Eastern Sierra, too. Oh, and that basketball book? The former assistant coach at Tulsa (Alpers) is working on how in the Golden Hurricane World, coaches tried (and failed) to create a defense against Indiana State’s Larry Bird, Drake’s Lewis Lloyd and how to create an offense against Drake University’s Final Four Bulldogs team, featuring Coach Maury John’s “Belly-Button Defense.” …

Interesting list of the faculty at Mammoth High School in this year’s yearbook, except for maybe that Whoops! That would be leaving out the estimable Chris Cooper, he of fine feathers and impresario of fine words. …

Who is Elizabeth Katherine Bauer? According to news reports out of Laguna Beach, she’s an attorney in Mammoth (news to local attorneys here), was a go-getter on its Pet Responsibility Committee, has a law degree from Boston University, and has no record whatsoever of her inability to practice law. Except maybe for that alleged $72,000 embezzlement of funds from the P.U.P. Laguna (Protecting Unwanted Pets), and who is now facing embezzlement charges along with grand theft. Wha?!? Officials reportedly say she used the dough to pay rent on a Dana Point home, purchase lift tix in Mammoth and to make repairs on her Mammoth property at 515 Forest Trail. …

It’s a Go this summer for the Rock ‘n’ Bowl bowling/golf/restaurant facility, says developer Dan O'Connell. Drawings and documents are late. He says he’s still committed to the project, but later than expected. …

On the other hand, the new Roller Rink (in the winter, it’s the Ice Rink) opens today (Friday) at 3 p.m. On Wednesday, Recreation staffer John Connolly was supervising installation of the mini-ramp. …

Intrepid mountaineer and adventurer Andy Selters has just launched his “Hidden Himalaya” project. At the end of July he’s heading to a remote valley of Ladakh where no one but locals have ever been, with three Canadians. They hope to climb a 21,000-foot peak or two. No photographs of the peaks exist. Then Andy will hang with villagers and document life there. …

Monday was the first day of official work at the motocross track, what with fencing and unpacking boxes. Entries are getting strong with a few more spots available in some classes. That little rain really helped with the preparation. …

Dan Hicks, he of the Hot Licks, was a big hit last weekend with his Kollege of Musical Knowledge at Lone Pine’s “Concert in the Rock” series in the Alabama Hills. Yup, that was The Famous One, traipsing around the Alabama Hills with Buck Wahl, among others. …

Wednesday was National Runners Day, in case you missed it. Our guys didn’t. Here’s Meb Keflezighi on how it all started: “I run to get the best out of myself. I started running to get an “A” in PE, now I am running to win the biggest races in the world.”

And Josh Cox? “I run because everything is funner with a runner.”

Oh yeah and by the way: Olympian Keflezighi won the Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Half Marathon in 1 hour, 3 minutes, 11 seconds on Sunday for his second consecutive victory in his adopted hometown. He beat fellow U.S. Olympian Ryan Hall, who struggled because of plantar fasciitis in his left foot and finished in 1:05:39. Meb-the-K and Ryan also finished 1-2 in the U.S. Olympic marathon trial.

Success! Paraplegic athlete Jeremy McGhee and his “Drop-In” team made it all the way up Bloody Couloir, he in a wheelchair, then made it down safely and smiling. He was taken to Mammoth Hospital for a routine checkup after feeling dehydrated, exhausted, and cold. Everything is A-OK now. The television version, Episode #1: Bloody Couloir, is officially in the can. …

Yosemite National Park has a “fee free” day tomorrow, June 9. It’s in celebration of National Get Outdoors Day. In case you forgot, or never knew, National Get Outdoors Day began in 2008 to encourage the American people to dedicate a single day to being outdoors and experiencing nature. Upcoming fee free dates in 2012 include National Public Lands Day (Sept. 29) and Veterans Day Weekend (Nov. 10 – 12).